Tape dispenser

ABSTRACT

A hand-held tape dispenser having a guide roller, a pressure roller, and a dispenser roller, all positioned beneath a tape spool and all of which project laterally to one side of the device so that the same may be operated as closely as possible to an adjacent surface, such as a wall, when the device is utilized for applying masking tape to woodwork and/or framing members abutting the wall surface to be painted, and a tape severing blade extending parallel to the rollers, rearwardly of the pressure roller, and which, upon elevanting movement of the device upon said pressure roller, will cut the tape.

United States Patent Zenter [4 1 Apr. 25, 1972 [541 TAPE DISPENSER 3,318,753 5/1967 Whitlow ..1se/s79 2,372 737 4/1945 Phillips Jr. ..l56/574 [72] Inventor: Michael Zenter, 1845 West Waveland Avenue, Chicago "L 606} 3 2,924,694 2/l960 Kretder 156/579 [22] Filed: May 25, 1970 Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-G. E. Montone [211 App! Attorney-Edward C. Thrcedy [52] US. Cl. ..l56/527, 156/523, 156/576, [57] ABSTRACT Int Cl r A hand-held tape dispenser having a guide roller. a pressure roller, and a dispenser roller. all positioned beneath a tape [58] new Search 3622 spool and all of which project laterally to one side of the device so that the same may be operated as closely as possible [561 v 222123 2331;z;'5:2sts;1:;mil;s'zisrt znziz'rztnz'tg UNITED STATES PATENTS members abutting the wall surface to be painted. and a tape severing blade extending parallel to the rollers, rearwardly of Fink, Jr the pressure roller and which upon eleyanting movemen of 2,235,704 3/ (imbue-"k0 et 3L the device upon said pressure roller, will cut the tape. 3,222,241 12/1965 Curtis ....l56/577 2,527,588 l0/l950 Sorenson ..l56/527 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Flgures Patented April 25, 1972 3,658,628

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TAPE DISPENSER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION spool, a guide roller, a dispensing roller, a pressure roller, and

a tape-severing blade.

The tape-supporting spool provides an enlarged peripheral retaining wall by which the tape spool may be resiliently moved relative to the carriage plate as it is in turn pressed against uneven or irregular surfaces.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the preferred form of the tape dispenser of this invention:

FIG. 2 is a front end elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a modified form of the tape dispenser of this invention.

As seen in FIG. 1, the preferred form of the tape dispenser includes a carriage plate 11 having a rearwardly extending integral handle 12.

A tape spool 13 is rotatably carried by a pin shaft 14 connected to and extending from one side of the carriage plate 11. This tape spool 13 includes a hub 15 over which is frictionally journalled the tape roll 16 and a back retaining wall 17. On the retaining wall 17 between it and the carriage plate 11, is an enlarged bearing 18 through which the pin shaft 14 projects.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the tape roll 16 normally has a diameter less than that of the retaining wall 17 but greater than that of the bearing 18. Thus, if in use the exposed edge of the tape roll 16 is pressed against a wall surface and moved thereover and such wall surface is uneven or irregular, the pressure thereon will cause the retaining wall 17 to flex or yield about the bearing 18 to compensate for this occurrence.

Depending from the bottom edge 19 of the carriage plate 11 in alignment with the front and rear edges thereof, are a pair of flanges 20 and 21. These flanges provide lateral runs 22 and 23, respectively, terminating into upstanding arms 24 and 25, respectively, so as to form substantially U-shaped mounting brackets.

Mounted on the outer surface of the arm 24 is a guide roller 26 and mounted on the outer surface of the arm is a pressure roller 27, both of which rollers are rotatably contained on suitable shafts 28 and 29 by split retaining ring washers 30.

Also depending from the bottom edge 19 of the plate 11 between the flanges 20 and 21 is a flange 31. This flange 31 supports a shaft 32 upon which is rotatably carried a dispensing roller 33.

As seen in FIG. 2, the guide roller 26 and pressure roller 27 have their exposed sides positioned outwardly of the side edge of the hub 15 of the tape spool 13 and in vertical alignment with the side edge of the tape roll 16. The width of the roller surface of the guide roller 26 and pressure roller 27 is much less than that of the dispensing roller 33 so as to perform in a manner hereinafter made apparent.

Between the flanges 21 and 31 is positioned an L-shaped tape retainer 34, the base leg portion 35 of which extends in a spaced parallel relation to the periphery of the dispensing roller 33. As shown in FIG. 1, when the tape from the roll of tape 16 is drawn, it will pass about a segment of the dispensing roller 33 and over the base leg portion 35 of the tape retainer 34, beneath the pressure roller 27 and beyond the tape-severing blade 36. This blade 36 is carried by a depending leg 37 of a bracket 38 which in turn is fixedly connected to the leg portion 39 of an L-shaped flange 40 extending from the rear edge 41 of the carriage plate 11.

When in use and with the tape drawn about the elements of the dispenser as hereinbefore described, the hand-held device will be placed so that the guide roller 26 will engage a portion of the area to which the tape is to be applied. The dispensing roller 33 as well as the pressure roller 27 will also be brought into contact with this surface and, as the device is moved, and with pressure being applied through the handle and the carriage plate 11 onto the pressure roller 27 the tape will be caused to adhere to such surface as the device is moved in a forward direction, as seen in FIG. 1.

When it is desired to terminate the application of the tape, the device is tilted upwardly so that the blade 36 engages the dispensed tape, with the blade causing the severing of the tape through such motion.

As the adhesive-carrying surface of the tape freely passes over thebase leg portion 35 of the tape retainer 34, the tape upon being severed, will not become displaced from about the dispensing roller. 33, as it will lightly adhere itself to the retainer 34 and remain in position for future use.

The modified form shown in FIG. 3 includes basically all of the elements of the device shown in FIG. 1, (similar primed reference numerals have been applied in FIG. 3), except that it combines a forward guide roller and dispensing roller into a single roller 42. A tape retainer 43 is provided. As shown in FIG. 3 it is positioned between the single guide dispensing roller 42 and the rear pressure roller 44. The tape retainer 43 because of its location, also is provided with a larger surface area which is in contact with the adhesive side of the tape so that the same will be retained thereby when it is severed by the blade 45.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have described a tape dispenser which is adaptable to be used on woodwork and framing members about wall surfaces that are to be painted. As described in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide roller 26 as well as the pressure roller 27, is of a size to engage such woodwork or framing members to facilitate the application of masking tape thereon. The device also is capable of work against a wall surface, in that all of the tape supporting and dispensing elements are positioned to one side of the body of the device, including its handle, and that the device also includes a means for permitting adequate side pressure to be applied against the device, with corresponding lateral movement of the roll of tape as it is moved along uneven or irregular surfaces.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for. carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispenser for self-adhesive type tape wherein the dispenser comprises a. a body consisting of a relatively thin plate having an integral handle thereon,

b. a tape-roll-carrying spool mounted on said body and extending to one side of said plate,

c. a tape dispenser roller extending laterally from one side of said plate and in a parallel depending offset relation to said spool and of a width corresponding to the width of the tape to be dispensed,

d. a pair of rollers to either side of said dispensing roller for guiding the dispensing of the tape from said spool and for pressing an edge portion of the dispensed tape onto an adjacent surface,

e. U-shapedarms extending from one side of said plate for rotatably supporting said guide and pressure rollers in alignment with the edge of said dispensing roller that is spaced from said plate,

f. a tape-severing blade carried by and extending to said one side of said plate beneath the handle and spaced from said pressure roller for cutting the dispensed tape, and

g. means provided by the dispenser extending laterally from v said one side of said plate parallelly to said U-shaped arms and adjacent to the peripheral edge of said dispensing roller for retaining the tape in contact therewith for continuing dispensing after a dispensed portion has been severed from the dispenser.

27 A dispenser as defined by claim 1 wherein said means comprises a rod parallelly spaced from the periphery of said dispensing roller and terminating at a point between said plate and said pressure roller and in contact with the adhesive side of the tape as it is dispensed about said dispensing roller prior to the pressure of said pressure roller thereon as the tape is dispensed and applied and to which it will removably adhere when severed.

3. A dispenser as defined by claim 1 wherein said pair of roilers comprises a guide roller and a pressure roller, with said pressure roller having a width less than that of said dispensing roller so as to press only an edge portion of the dispensed tape upon a surface over which the dispenser is guided by said guide roller.

4. A dispenser as defined by claim 3 wherein said means comprises a rod parallelly spaced from the periphery of said dispensing roller and terminating at a point between said plate and said pressure roller and in contact with the adhesive side of the tape as it is dispensed about said dispensing roller prior to the pressure of said pressure roller thereon as the tape is dispensed and applied and to which it will removably adhere when severed. 

1. A dispenser for self-adhesive type tape wherein the dispenser comprises a. a body consisting of a relatively thin plate having an integral handle thereon, b. a tape-roll-carrying spool mounted on said body and extending to one side of said plate, c. a tape dispenser roller extending laterally from one side of said plate and in a parallel depending offset relation to said spool and of a width corresponding to the width of the tape to be dispensed, d. a pair of rollers to either side of said dispensing roller for guiding the dispensing of the tape from said spool and for pressing an edge portion of the dispensed tape onto an adjacent surface, e. U-shaped arms extending from one side of said plate for rotatably supporting said guide and pressure rollers in alignment with the edge of said dispensing roller that is spaced from said plate, f. a tape-severing blade carried by and extending to said one side of said plate beneath the handle and spaced from said pressure roller for cutting the dispensed tape, and g. means provided by the dispenser extending laterally from said one side of said plate parallelly to said U-shaped arms and adjacent to the peripheral edge of said dispensing roller for retaining the tape in contact therewith for continuing dispensing after a dispensed portion has been severed from the dispenser.
 2. A dispenser as defined by claim 1 wherein said means comprises a rod parallelly spaced from the periphery of said dispensing roller and terminating at a point between said plate and said pressure roller and in contact with the adhesive side of the tape as it is dispensed about said dispensing roller prior to the pressure of said pressure roller thereon as the tape is dispensed and applied and to which it will removably adhere when severed.
 3. A dispenser as defined by claim 1 wherein said pair of rollers comprises a guide roller and a pressure roller, with said pressure roller having a width less than that of said dispensing roller so as to press only an edge portion of the dispensed tape upon a surface over which the dispenser is guided by said guide roller.
 4. A dispenser as defined by claim 3 wherein said means comprises a rod parallelly spaced from the periphery of said dispensing roller and terminating at a point between said plate and said pressure roller and in contact with the adhesive side of the tape as it is dispensed about said dispensing roller prior to the pressure of said pressure roller thereon as the tape is dispensed and applied and to which it will removably adhere when severed. 